Transition Period
by Julia Fernandez Hiwatari
Summary: Transition- The process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another. Hard times aren't easy for anyone to get through, but for Kai and Julia, it's more difficult than they imagined.
1. Chapter 1

**Transition Period**

Beyblade

Kai X Julia

Romance, Hurt/Comfort

Two-Shot

Rated T

For: **Sabrina Maddie Granger**

 **(** Bold letters- for example, **T** he -means that a major scene change has occurred. I know most writers don't do this, but I just wanted to be creative. I don't own Beyblade or it's characters, obviously, just this story. Enjoy! **)**

Part One:

 **I** t was another windy and bitterly freezing day in Bey city. Minus some pedestrians, a few of cops, and the city workers pouring salt on the streets, not many people were out. Well, it wasn't just the extreme cold keeping people indoors.

The roads had iced over pretty badly about three days ago, and on top of that, it had snowed 2-3ft in the past 12-24 hours and more was expected come nightfall. Just like its accompanying friends, icicles hung in sheet-like layers from everything they could.

 **I** n a neighborhood, not too far from downtown, stood a set of small, one-story houses. At the end of the street stood a white abode with a midnight colored roof. In it lived a tall and muscular gentleman in his mid-twenties. This man had a reputation for being antisocial and cold. When people noticed him, he often gave off a fierce aura that said, "Don't bother me" and while that was true in most situations, he wasn't always like that.

 **T** he sound of swiftly running water filled the semi-clean home. Down the small hallway, in a good-sized bathroom, dripping wet and very calloused hands ran over and through strands of thick, sudsy two-tone hair. While it was moved around, the jet black began to mix with a slew of dark blue-gray, carbon metal colored bangs. As the suds of Suave's Caffeine & Chia Infusian washed away, a vibrating noise came from the adjacent toilet lid, then a ringtone began playing the first Verse, the Chorus, and the second Verse of "Find Me" by Boyce Avenue.

So many nights trying to hide it

But now I stay awake just pleading for more

To think this heart was divided

I'm losing sleep 'cause I can't ignore

Feeling your touch all around

Peacefully hearing the sound

Of silence around us, I'm so glad we found us this way, yeah

Find me, here in your arms

Now I'm wondering where you've always been

And blindly, I came to you

Knowing you'd breathe new life from within

I can't get enough of you, oh

I want to be where you are

In times of need I just want you to stay

I leave a note on your car

When I can't find the right words to say

Hearing your voice all around

The last place we're going is down

I'll blindly follow, knowing you're leading the way, yeah

Knowing who it was, the pale male turned off the steaming water with a squeak of the knob and practically flung open the sheer shower curtains as the ringtone played again. He smiled lightly at the warmth the music made him feel; who it made him think of. At that, the carmine-eyed youth felt his cheeks burn up. Was he blushing, or was that just the heat from his shower? He didn't care and didn't give it a second thought. He quickly picked up his phone and pressed 'Answer.'

"Hello, my Beautiful Spanish Goddess. Good morning," he said, rather cheerfully. Obviously, the often stoic man was only like this around her.

"Kai Hiwatari, it's nearly April. How in the world is this possible?" came a young, and apparently irritated, woman's voice over the phone.

 _So, this is how we're going to start our day, really?_ he thought, mentally groaning at her moody attitude. _UGH!_ he internally let out.

He continued to listen to her complaints about the cold and well, everything, as well as everyone else, minus him of course. He dreaded the days when she was like this, but he loved her. This man had gone through anything you could think of and put up with whatever and anyone because of it. He wouldn't change a thing about it though. He knew it was all a part of being with her, and he was going to stick with her no matter what, just like he did with everything else in his life.

"Julia, we're in the middle of what's called a Cold Snap, and we get one or two of them every year. And you complain about them, _every year,_ " spoke her boyfriend of nearly seven years. Kai could feel the icy glare she was giving him through the phone, and he found it absolutely hilarious. Why, because he enjoyed messing with her. If he couldn't pick on her he wouldn't know what to do. He carefully stepped out of the shower and grabbed the red towel on the nearby counter to dry himself off. After that, he put on his green boxers.

"I know I do, I'm sorry. Anyhow, what are you up to?"

"Nothing really. Got up about an hour ago, had coffee in this awesome mug some beautiful girl made me for Christmas last year, and I got a shower. I'm just going to wing it. Don't feel like planning anything today," Kai said as he made the way into his bedroom. He pulled out a black, long-sleeved button-up and a pair of black jeans from the closet.

"Nice, and okay," Julia said. He could tell by her tone that she was blushing. Good, he had succeeded in his mission.

Kai put the phone on 'Speaker' as he set it on his King-sized bed and got dressed. Along with the nice jeans and pressed shirt, came a bright crimson belt, a dark purple tie, his black double band wrist watch, his black Timberland boots, and a simple red comb that he kept in the pocket of his shirt.

Though moving around, he listened attentively while his lovely girlfriend chattered away. He didn't mind what she talked about as long as her mood improved, no offense to the 26-year-old. There were times where she was an utter pain in the butt, then again, he could be too.

The 26 1/2-year-old then strode down the hall and into the spacious living room of the home that he shared with nobody, not yet anyway. As he plopped down onto the roomy, white couch a very familiar noise filled his ears. He knew what it was and immediately said,

"Uh, I hear wind. Please say you're near the heater in your house," He sounded angry but the girl on the other end knew better.

"I'm just walking to the store to get stuff for dinner. Don't worry, I'll be fine," Kai bolted to his feet, his knees brushing against the footrest in front of him, now he was upset.

"Honey, what the hell?! It's dangerous out," Julia could tell because the tone of his voice made her flinch. She didn't like it when he was upset or mad at her. "Why didn't you tell me you needed to go somewhere? I would've come and got you. No offense, but right now, it's much easier for me to get around than it is for you," he added sternly. Julia knew he meant well and that he had a good point, but still.

"You don't need to drive me everywhere. I'm capable, my legs and arms work. I'm half blind, not immobile. No offense to those that are. Besides, I'm almost there,"

Kai rolled his eyes while he reached behind one of the pillows next to him. He grabbed something small, put his hand up to the phone, and loudly jangled what he held into the receiver.

"Hear that," he said, half-joking, and shoved the keys into his pocket.

"Wait, what are you doing?"

"Where are you at? I know you can't see street signs, so tell me your surroundings," he said, now climbing into his little gray car. He knew Julia could hear what was going on but he didn't care.

"Um, you're not doing what I think you are, are you?"

" _Jules!_ " That time, Julia jumped as the vibrations of his scream and his fist slamming to the steering wheel sent shocking currents through her body.

"I'm coming to get your stubborn ass. _That's_ what I'm doing," he spat after a bit of silence.

"… I'm in front of Elmore's Fabric Store which is across the street from an Arby's," he finally heard Julia say, her voice a bit shaky. Kai started his car and backed slowly out of the driveway.

 **J** ulia Fernandez was inside the fabric shop so she would stay warm. On top of everything else, she didn't need to fight off a cold or the flu too. The store was quiet, minus the modern Country and Pop music playing lowly through its numerous intercoms. She could hear her knee-high boots drumming on the speckled beige and yellow tiles as she made her way through the many large aisles.

While looking through the yarn section, the orange and brown haired brunette felt dizzy and tired all of the sudden, she became breathless as well. She immediately sat on the floor. The all-leg woman removed the white scarf and black trench coat that she was wearing, revealing her fitted red sweater and dark blue jeans. The straight leg jeans hugged her body like a glove, and at this moment that wasn't a good thing. Maybe she should've wore those sweatpants. They'd have looked horrible on her in her opinion, but at least she'd be able to cool down and do her breathing exercises properly. No, Julia hadn't gained any weight; she'd actually lost some but because of what happened a while back her body was much weaker.

 _That's when it all changed,_ she thought, her heart pounding loudly. She leaned back, supporting herself against the massive shelving units. Not a day went by when she didn't think about that tragedy.

 **I** t had been two weeks since New Years. Just beyond the winter covered woods, near the riverside, perched a large house on top of a huge hill. A shadowy Bey city lurked off in the distance. Although the sun was out, you couldn't feel its heat. To the residents, this Sunday afternoon was no different from the others.

Inside the expensive brick dwelling, it was around one o'clock, and Julia was cheerfully doing housework while their folks were out. Yes, she still lived with her parents and twin brother, who was upstairs cleaning the bathrooms, but she had plans to move out soon.

While dusting the DVD and CD shelves she sang along to David Bowie's "Ashes To Ashes" on her iPod. It was an older model Raul had given her back in October, but she didn't care how old it was. After all, it was the thought that counted and she loved that thing, treasured it really. As she hummed the Chorus, the bright jewel-green eyed woman felt a couple of taps on her firm shoulders. She turned around to see Raul pointing down to her lit up cellphone, which he held in his hand. She removed her earbuds, placing them around her neck, as she heard him say,

"It's, Kai."

"Thanks," she said with a warm smile, and happily put the phone up to her ear. Raul went back upstairs to continue cleaning.

"Hello, hello," Julia said cheerfully.

"Hey, Jules. Just called to see what you were up to," came a deep, but also slightly muffled voice. Jules, that was his nickname for her and oh how she loved hearing it. She could hear the swift wind on the other side of the line and instantly knew Kai was in his car with the windows down.

"I'm doing housework. We're cleaning up for the week,"

"Oh, how fun," he said sarcastically.

"What are you up to?" she asked, a bit curious.

" _I_ , am on my way to work,"

"Work? But it's Sunday. You're supposed to be off. Ya know, out enjoying yourself or at home being lazy. Not to mention, you've already worked a six-day week. Seriously, what is wrong with your boss?"

"I know, _I know._ I feel the exact same way, but one of the guys somehow got hurt while driving one of the warehouse's stupid, barely functioning forklifts and I have to go fill-in. I feel bad for the guy, wait, no I don't. I swear, some of the people I work with, they're morons. I should be out by seven o'clock tonight. Keyword, should. I hate my job. I need some happiness," It was then that an idea popped into his head. "After work, you wanna hang out?" Her heart fluttered and her cheeks flushed with joy.

"That'd be wonderful, Honey!" Kai smiled at the excitement in her voice, and he in-turn became excited too. Not to say that he wasn't always excited to see her, he was. Knowing she was happy always made him smile, end of story.

"Okay, I'll stop by when I'm off," he said.

"I look forward to it,"

"Me too. I'm here, I gotta let you go and go clock-in,"

"I hope you have a good shift,"

"Thanks. I love you,"

"You're welcome. I love you too, Honey. Bye,"

"Bye, Baby," he said and hung up.

Pulling the phone from her ear, Julia could tell that Kai was not looking forward to this.

 _Poor guy,_ she thought, dreading it for him.

7:00 PM came and Julia lie on her neatly made bed, hands behind her head and ankles crossed, as she reluctantly listened to the annoying toc-tic of her alarm clock that stood atop her tall, white dresser. Normally she would be listening to music of some sort. Maybe an Evanescence playlist or some of Justin Timberlake's old stuff, but she didn't want to drown out the world, namely her boyfriend's car.

 _He should be here any minute now,_ she thought, eyeing the clock. The proverbial butterflies flew around like crazy in her stomach.

"Are you trying to give me ideas?" came a playful and yet seductive voice. Julia sat up and swiftly looked at her window. There she saw Kai holding onto the windowsill. Julia said nothing to him. She only watched as he effortlessly climbed through and his heavy and grimy work boots pounded on her floor.

"Well, they know I'm here," Kai said, looking down at her rug covered floor.

"We have a front door," she said, walking up to him. He looked at her.

"Hn,"

"Kai!"

"Okay, okay. I promise next time I'll use the front door like I usually do. I just wanted to make my entry special and see you smile," Thinking about it, Julia did smile. She had to admit it was amusing watching him do that. It's something she definitely wouldn't forget and would always look back on with a giggly grin.

"That's what I wanted to see," Kai said and happily pulled her into his strong arms. She looked into his eyes and laid her head on his broad shoulders. He then began to gently rock her from side to side in his tight hold. He didn't want to dance, he just wanted to hold her close, in a warm hug.

"I want you to smile and laugh when you're with me. You don't do that enough," he said softly.

"I know. I want you to do the same when you're with me," she sweetly stated, his happy heartbeat pounding through her delicate fingers. Man, she loved being in his arms. Kai lovingly kissed the top of her forehead. Now that he was taller than her it was easy to do so. He happily nuzzled his face into her Strawberry scented hair, stopping their movements.

"I know, and I do," he finally said.

"Kai?" Feeling movement beneath him, he moved away and looked at her.

"Hm?"

"Wanna see a movie next time you come up?"

"I actually have a movie I want to take you to in a bit,"

"What movie?" He smirked playfully.

"It's a surprise,"

"Babe-" He put a finger to her plump pink lips, cutely shushing her. Kai pointed to her door and said,

"Go tell your parents we're leaving and that you'll be home by midnight,"

"Why midnight?"

"It's a long movie," he said with a small shrug.

The tall woman turned and started the way to her door. She felt his firm but loving gaze on her as she moved.

"Julia," At the call of her name she turned around, her emotion-filled eyes silently meeting his.

 **"J** ulia? Julia," Came Kai's desperate voice, and he was desperate. Why was he though? "Come on, look at me. Open your eyes," he added. Oh, that's why.

"When I heard the shelves fall over, I ran to see what happened and found her unconscious," Kai heard the eighty-year-old clerk say while he kneeled next to him.

When Kai had arrived, he'd heard someone yelling for help and not seeing his soulmate through the windows, made him jolt out of the car. With the loud slam of his door, he ran inside to find the cashier getting the stuff that fell from the top of the shelves off of her. Kai dashed and took over the moment he laid eyes on the situation.

"I understand. Thank you for clearing away the yarn and other stuff," Kai said.

"I hope she'll be alright,"

"She should be fine," Kai said matter-of-factly. He was trying to keep his composure but the somber tone still found a way to drip from his tongue.

"Are you telling me that or yourself," the man said, picking up on it. Kai got where he was coming from.

The quiet man gazed longingly at Julia one more time before carefully taking her into his arms and carrying her towards the door. The man, who Kai figured was the owner, followed him and ran in front of him to hold the door open. He followed Kai outside too, luckily the car wasn't locked.

"Sorry about the mess," Kai said as the man opened his passenger side door. He gently placed the woman inside and buckled her in.

"It's all right. She's not the first person to have an accident in there," he said. He was trying to cheer him up. He watched as Kai shut the door and went over to the driver's side and slid in.

"I'll come by and clean it up, but first I need to get her home,"

"She comes first. I'll clean this up," Kai wasn't going to argue with that.

"Understood, sir,"

"Good luck," Kai nodded thankfully and started his car.

While driving away, Kai watched as the man went back inside and grabbed the mop and a bucket.

 **D** riving down the streets, Kai didn't play any music. Now obviously was not the time for it, nor did he even want it on. He looked at her periodically, worry blanketing his already expressive eyes. He watched her chest move steadily up and down and listened as best he could to her breathing.

While rolling into his driveway, he saw her eyebrows twitch and her eyes become half-lidded. Seeing this, he happily smiled at her, as if to say "Hey," but those orbs closed again, signaling the need for more sleep. Getting out of the car, Kai immediately went and unlocked his front door.

He steadily carried Julia to his room and, after removing her shoes, made her comfortable. Sitting at her side, he gripped her right hand, tenderly rubbing the back of it with his thumb.

"Julia, you're at my place, okay? You're safe. I'll always keep you safe," he told her soothingly.

In the stillness, Kai bent down and softly kissed her lips. Deep in his heart, he prayed that she'd wake up sooner than later.

To be continued...

 **Please R & R? I hope you love it. Part Two will be posted soon. :) **


	2. Chapter 2

**Part Two:**

 **T** he curtains were pulled shut and the red reading lamp tucked into the corner of a long, black desk was turned on. With a resounding click, it immediately gave off a warm glow and illuminated the room in a soft, relaxing ambience. The light brought shape to the shadows and more distinction to the shuffling silhouette in the room.

Sharp eyes slowly drifted around, abruptly stopping on the form sleeping beneath his black and white covers. As he walked toward her, Kai noticed that Julia's breathing was still steady and calm.

 _That's good,_ he thought. Leaving her to rest, again, Kai unhooked his phone from the charger and headed for the kitchen.

"She'll probably be hungry, so food. Yeah, food," Kai told himself as he stood near the entryway.

Talking to himself had become a habit. It was one, of maybe five, he'd gotten from a co-worker. Yes, it helped the man focus on a big task better, but it also made him sound insane. He didn't like the habit but now it had become impossible to break.

 _Thanks for cursing me with this habit, Steve,_ he thought, rolling his eyes.

Kai went over to his pantry, which stood tall in the farthest corner of the kitchen and looked inside.

"Let's see." Glancing around at what he had something Tala had once said while over came to mind. Despite what people thought, Kai wasn't much of a health nut. Yeah, he exercised, but he didn't really watch what he ate. He didn't put a lot of care into it unless it was tournament season, which he was becoming less and less involved in as time went on.

 _Ah, this'll work,_ he thought, taking out packages of egg noodles and containers of chicken broth. He put the items near the stove. After pulling out a large pot, he started cooking.

 **"J** ulia? Julia? Hey, Jules," came a familiar voice, along with a soft shake. "Wake up. I made dinner."

Emerald eyes fluttered open to the blurry image of a big, steaming bowl perched on a plate which was being held by potholders with a single hand. However, once she met a face, her vision began to clear.

"Kai?" she said, her voice drier than usual. He could tell by the way her eyes were moving that she had no idea where she was. At least, not at the moment.

"Hey, you're at my place. Think you can eat?"

"I can try," Julia went to sit up. As she moved Kai noticed how stiff and wobbly she was. She looked like she was in pain. He hurriedly put the stuff on the bedside table and gently put his hands on her small frame.

"Let me help," She said nothing, only watched as he put the pillows behind her, giving her some support. "there, now lean back,"

"I can sit up," she snapped.

"Your strength is currently that of an infants,"

"Kai," she yelled.

"Lean, back," he repeated, not reacting to her anger. He knew she wasn't in her right mind. Slightly disoriented, "out of it" as some would say. He didn't want her to regret more than he knew she already would when she completely came to.

"Let me help you," he said, bordering on the edge of pleading. Yes, he was worried about her, but what good guy wouldn't be.

"Fine." He gently urged her back and then sat on the edge of his bed, making it creak.

As Kai stirred the soup and brought it closer to her, Julia reached for the spoon. While trying to take it from Kai's fingers, she hit the spoon with the back of her hand. It splattered back down into the bowl, but not before flipping droplets of broth on them and some noodles onto his bed. With a shaky hand she pushed the hot dishes away. Now he could really get a feel for how weak she was.

"Just keep resting," Kai quickly uttered. They'd try again later. He got up, taking the stuff with him. Julia watched him go but soon found herself easing into and relaxing against the pillows again.

Kai stomped into the kitchen. With an agonizing scream and reckless abandon he threw the dishes. The ceramic shattered noisily against the stainless steel faucet. Luckily, most of the food went into the base of the sink but some still splashed out onto the sides and counters. He walked over to the table and harshly kicked over one of the barstools that he used as chairs. Moving it out of the way. At least, while standing there, that's how his brain tried to rationalize it. Really, it wasn't in the way, nothing was in his way.

He took a step back, finding a bit of strength to move. He slid numbly down the wall and slumped limply to the floor. He dropped his head onto of his arms and sighed, feeling defeated.

 _How many more times is this going to happen? How many times...?_

"Are you looking forward to the movie?" came Kai's cocky voice as Julia approached his car. He knew how excited she was. She laughed at his question and said as she climbed in the passenger side,

"I guess so. I still don't know what it is though." Kai gave her a sly look and added,

"And, you won't until we get there," He inserted the keys without looking and started his car. "So, no hints."

"Keido," That was his middle name and only she was allowed to call him by it.

"No," he playfully barked as he backed out of the driveway. She smiled at him and laughed too. She loved his stiff sense of humor.

Julia had told Kai a long time ago about how picky she was when it came to movies and TV shows, and he'd made sure to keep that in mind. Not that he hadn't made a few mistakes here or there but she forgave him for those. Of course she played it off with a sarcastic joke, but he knew how sincere she was.

Blaring sirens surrounded his ears, and though he tried to, he couldn't focus on anything else. As he absentmindedly stepped backwards on the old road, glass shards and pieces of mangled metal crunched and creaked underneath his feet, the sensation keeping him unwillingly tethered to reality.

While peering around, he pulled back his glass encumbered hair with bloody and split open hands. Simultaneously running his banged up fingers through the mass of ever-worsening tangles. A multitude of adjacent neon lights painted him in streaming and swirling flashes of red and blue hues. Everything, or so it seemed, was happening in slow motion and he could barely keep track of it all.

He ran his hands down his face for what seemed like the millionth time in less than five minutes, making him appear even more worse-for-wear than he already was. He could feel small holes all throughout his head, the flowing ooze of a nasty gash on his forehead, and his hands seemed disfigured but he wasn't entirely sure. Every inch of him hurt like hell, he was dirty and severely banged up, that much he knew.

Noticing a stretcher being hauled into the ambulance some feet in front of him, Kai dug down deep and ran forward, not caring what it did to him in the long-run.

 **"K** ai, Kai?" came a soft female voice. Along with the warm tone, he felt a slender hand on his shoulder. He moved, reluctantly giving her a glance. With his eyes appearing raw and puffy she could tell he'd been crying and that shattered her heart instantly.

"What are you doing out of bed?" he asked, well rather stated, voice muffled by the folds of his sleeves.

"I can, move a bit better now," For a moment Julia sounded hesitant but Kai figured it was just because she was still rickety and sore. It can't be easy to recover from one of those, especially as frequently as she's been having them lately. This incident made her fifth one in five days. One a day, that certainly wasn't good and only added to how he felt. He tore his gaze away and buried his face again.

"That's good. I'll take you home once you've fully recovered," Kai finally said. Now who was being hesitant?

Julia took a step back, not knowing what move to make next. The once confident girl was now overly shy, unsure of herself, and emotionally driven in some situations. It was almost as if she was someone else. She certainly felt like someone else. A foreign soul in a familiar body. These "episodes" as she called them, couldn't cause that much damage to ones' mind, could they? What was wrong with her?

"I- I'm sorry,"

"Don't be. You can't help it." Silence surrounded them again and with every second that ticked by, it became heavier.

"Why do you put up with someone like me?" At her insecure tone Kai raised his head and gave her a look.

"What kind of question is that? I don't know why. I just do,"

"But, are you happy... with me? Honestly,"

"Just drop it,"

"No, I'm not going to 'just drop it,'"

"Julia. I'm in no mood to argue,"

"I don't want to argue, I just-" She found his finger on her slightly chapped lips. Once again, it cutely shut her up.

"I don't want to either."

After a bit, Kai got up from the floor and looked at her.

"You know she blames me, right?" Julia shook her head. She knew the "she" he was referring to was her mother.

"She doesn't-"

"Yes, she does. Your dad does too. You know how I know, they don't treat me like they used to,"

"They're just... protective," she said sheepishly.

"Protective, huh?" He looked away, starring at nothing. "And, why wouldn't they be? I damaged their daughter. Their perfect, precious princess."

"Darling-"

"I'm guilty in their eyes,"

"What happened that night wasn't your fault," He glared at her. That nasty, spite filled look sent many, cold daggers into her heart.

"Oh yeah? I repeat, they seem to think differently!" Hearing soft sniffles, Kai let out a breathy groan.

"Julia, I..."

"Kai-" Like so many other times, there was his name with tears attached.

Ever since that night, he'd felt helpless and like he wasn't good enough for her. Hell, he blamed himself for what happened. Especially in moments like this, where they were already temperamental. Add to that personal stresses, drama, and their overall communication suffered. Though they tried, they didn't talk or act like they used to. Things were different now and they couldn't go back to how it was before.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kai watched as she nearly buckled to the floor. He rolled his eyes. This couldn't be happening.

Out of nowhere, she found herself gently scooped up into his arms. Kai carried her back to his bedroom and lay her down on his bed so she could stretch out and get comfortable. Not to mention be on something soft incase one of those things happened again. Sometimes these things happened one-right-after-the-other and every one seemed to cause some kind of brain damage. There, he wordlessly curled up next to her and held her close. Even the most stoic man can be emotional under excessive amounts of stress and here lately that's all he'd been under. Be it at home or work, he couldn't seem to escape it no matter what he did.

"I am happy with you. I'm just... stretched thin. It's not your fault. It's just the situation we're in. I rehabilitated myself so I could hold you again. So I could be the soldier you needed me to be." He kissed her head gingerly. At his words Julia shifted in this embrace. With wet emeralds she looked at him and said,

"Do you think we can make it through this? I mean, dealing with me and my crap, it can't be easy,"

"Darling, nothing in life is ever easy. If it was no one would grow,"

"But, I'm not who I was before-"

"Honey, for the love of God and my sanity, just shut up and cuddle."

Julia couldn't help but laugh at his statement. At hearing her joyous jingle, Kai smiled. He knew it wouldn't last long, but for the moment, he felt like he'd finally done something right.

 **T** he next day, after breakfast and showers, Kai told Julia all that had happened. Turns out she had no memory beyond the call they'd had that morning. No memory of the fabric shop, trying to eat, their discussion, nothing but waking up next to him earlier this morning.

"What?! I had a seizure while out in public?" she bellowed dramatically, while sitting on his couch. "Oh just shoot me."

"Yup, soiled pants and all. You didn't puke though, so there's a bonus."

"Quit being so matter-of-fact about this I'm mortified here," It was then that he looked at her with one of his soft and caring, but still playful, smiles.

"Jules, you're doing fine. As I said last night, you can't help when you have them. Besides, the owner seemed to understand. It's okay," he paused. "We're okay." He kissed her cheek reassuringly. At it, she seemed to blush and shyly look away.

"Kai, I'm so-" With an audible squeak, one that resembled a bunny rabbit, she found herself being pulled into his arms.

"I'm happy too." He let her go but his hands still rested on her shoulders, keeping her locked to him.

"Despite all your doctors lectures and all the crap your obnoxious parents have said, I think they'll eventually stop. Your eyesight may never improve but I'll never stop loving you. I'll take care of you as best I can,"

"I know that and, I never have and will never blame you for what happened. No matter what they may say. Raul and I both know that its not your fault a drunk driver hit us on the way home,"

"Julia..." Now it was Kai's turn to be bashful and insecure. Despite what he showed the world, he was mentally fragile at the moment and still recovering too.

"I love you, Kai Keido Hiwatari and I want this to work. We'll make it work, I know we can, regardless of their opinions. I may have bashed my head into the windshield like you did but I haven't completely lost my senses and I'm still mentally my age so I know and understand what I'm saying. I know and see the truth."

Kai smiled wider at her little, affirmably given speech, showing that he agreed and the affect it had. It'd nearly brought him to tears. He felt warm and his heart was fluttering.

Yeah, this was intense but they'd make it through, he realized that now. Her words had restored his faith in what they had. Every relationship required some work and both needed to talk more openly and meet each other halfway regardless of the changes.

"I'll be your support beam if you'll be mine," she said with a playful and exceptionally flirtatious wink.

"Oh my god," His hands went from her to covering his face.

"What?" Yeah, like she didn't know what she'd just done.

"You're so cheesy," he said through laughter.

"I like cheesy, shut up and cheer up," Kai noticed how red her face was getting. She was flustered and it was nice to see. At more of his laughter Julia punched his arm.

"Yeah, you're still here," he said rubbing it.

As she tucked a piece of hair behind her ears in the midst of a shy giggle, Kai swooped in and captured her lips with his. Yeah, he was good enough for her. He could tell that by the way her kiss tasted, and even though there would be more trials ahead, this little bit of reassurance was nice.

"Of course I will," he finally said after letting go.

 **L** ater that night, after relaxing at her home for the remainder of the day, Julia received a message. Rolling over on her bed, she picked her phone up and opened it. There, in the long trails of two-tone text bubbles, she saw a video. Puzzled, she enlarged the screen and pressed 'Play.' Her heart pounded, almost too fast for comfort, she was both excited and nervous.

At the soft picks and strums of his accustic guitar, her heart instantly melted. Was he really doing what she thought he was? As the realization hit her, she became giddy and teary-eyed. This was something the new Julia seemed to do a lot of. With a bright smile she watched him and listened intently.

I can't count the times

I almost said what's on my mind

But I didn't

...

Just the other day

I wrote down all the things I'd say

But I couldn't

I just couldn't

Baby I know that you've been wondering

Oh, so here goes nothing

In case you didn't know

Baby I'm crazy 'bout you

And I would be lying if I said

That I could live this life without you

Even though, I don't tell you all the time

You had my heart a long long time ago

In case you didn't know

...

The way you look tonight

That second glass of wine

That did it, mmm

There was something 'bout that kiss

Girl it did me in

Got me thinking

I'm thinking

All of the things that I've been feeling

Mmm it's time you here 'em

In case you didn't know

Baby I'm crazy 'bout you

And I would be lying if I said

That I could live this life without you

Even though, I don't tell you all the time

You had my heart a long long time ago

In case you didn't know

You've got all of me

I belong to you

Yeah you're my everything

...

In case you didn't know

I'm crazy 'bout you

And I would be lying if I said

That I could live this life without you

Even though, I don't tell you all the time

You had my heart a long long time ago

Yeah you had my heart a long long time ago

Mmm, in case you didn't know

... No, no, in case you didn't know...

The End

 **So, part two is finally done! I'm sorry it took so long and I hope all of this makes sense. I hope you like it, Sabrina! Much love to you. R & R, if you wish to. :) The last song is "In Case You Didn't Know" by Brett Young, covered by Boyce Avenue. (I like Boyce Avenue's version a bit better, sorry.) :D **


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